Tony Abbott’s role as Minister for Women is farcical.
He has occupied the role for almost 17 months and is yet to demonstrate any understanding of the issues facing Australian women. And worse still, he is yet to demonstrate any willingness to understand these issues either.
Despite the pay gap widening, the woeful underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, the falling workforce participation rates of women, the increasing number of women being killed by domestic violence, Tony Abbott has remained silent.
The Minister for Women is missing in action at the very time Australia needs an informed and vocal advocate more than ever.
In the last few days alone three separate news stories have broken relating to the status of women in Australia:
1. Two women a week have been killed by domestic violence in the first seven weeks of 2015
2. The pay gap between male and female managers in Australia is as high as 45%
3. Alan Kohler explained on ABC news last night that women-led companies in the US outperformed S&P 500 average. In Australia? He couldn’t show a corresponding graph because there aren’t enough women-led listed companies to form a statistically significant sample.
These are just three of countless examples, this week, where an interested and engaged Minister for Women might speak out. Ours hasn’t.
The Minister for Women has not made a single mention of these issues that fall directly in his portfolio and indicate quite clearly that men and women are not on equal footing. Has he read the news? Or does he simply not care?
#AreYouThereTony?
Whatever the reason, it’s time to go Tony. If you agree that Australia needs a Minister for Women who will speak out and act upon the deep and worsening discrimination that women in this country are subject to, sign our petition.